Wheelchair Curling Takes Over Sudbury Curling Club For Weekend
January 27th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Angela Gemmill
Many of the athletes participating in the Northern Ontario Wheelchair Curling Championships hope to increase awareness and participation in the sport.
Sudbury is hosting the tournament over the next three day at the Curling Club on Howey Drive.
There are four teams from across Northern Ontario and each team has at least five members, including the coaches.
They’ll be taking up three sheets of ice.
President of the Sudbury Curling Club Bill Sloan thanked the other leagues who play at the facility since they changed their schedules to accommodate the championship.
He says they didn’t have to do very much to the building to prepare since its already wheelchair accessible.
Skip Rick Prud’homme says Team Sudbury is going up against teams it played last year when the local members were all ‘rookies’ to wheelchair curling.
Sudbury Coach Norm Gervais had the team on the ice training four-six hours a week leading up to the tournament.
The winner heads to the national championship in Thunder Bay in March.
Greater Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk was on hand for the opening ceremonies and helped throw the first rock.
The Sudbury Curling Club holds Wheelchair Curling every Sunday and it’s free for anyone who wants to try it out.
Wheelchair Curling is slightly different from regular curling in that athletes throw their own rocks and there is no sweeping involved.
(Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk helps throw the first stone to get the tournament underway)
Suburylicious, Inaugural Food Festival To Run Next Two Weeks
January 27th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Angela Gemmill
Foodies in Sudbury have two weeks try out offerings from any of the 13 participating restaurants in the city.
The inaugural food festival, called ‘Your Sudburylicious’ starts tomorrow (Jan 27) and runs until February 10th.
Festival Director, Chef Carlo Di Salvo says it wasn’t hard to get local establishments on board.
He says it drives new traffic to the independent restaurant and allows patrons to try different places for a reasonable price.
Over the next two weeks each restaurant will offer a three-course meal for 25-dollars.
There are no tickets.
Those wanting to visit one of the 13 sites must call the individual restaurants to make reservations.
For a complete list of participating restaurants go to this website: www.yoursudburylicious.ca
Di Salvo says similar food festivals are held in Toronto, Ottawa, London and Barrie.
He expects more establishments to jump on board during the next festival, which will be held during the summer months.
Sudbury Hosting 2012 Northern Ont Wheelchair Curling Tourney
January 27th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Angela Gemmill
The three-day Northern Ontario Wheelchair Curling Championships kick off today at the Sudbury Curling Club.
Four teams are competing to represent the region at the provincials in Thunder Bay in March.
Opening ceremonies are set for 10am today and the championship game goes Sunday at 10:30am.
Sudbury’s team will compete against two teams from Thunder Bay, and a team from Kenora/Dryden.
There is no sweeping in wheelchair curling, every player must throw their 40-pound stone using a curling stick.
This is the first time Sudbury has hosted the tournament.
The local team consists of Skip Rick Prudhomme, Vice Sarah Lashbrook, Second Dennis Duclos, Lead Norm Martel and Coach Norm Gervais.
(Sudbury Wheelchair Curling Team: Lead Norm Martel, Second Dennis Duclos, Third Sarah Lashbrook, Skip Rick Prudhomme; back row Coach Norm Gervais)
M-P-P Rick Bartolucci Says Sudbury Leading The Northern Economy
January 26th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Stew Kernan
M-P-P Rick Bartolucci says Sudbury is in great position to capitalize on a strong northern economy.
Bartolucci was the gust speaker at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon this afternoon.
He says Sudbury needs to be more aggressive in exposing our strong mining sector to the world wide market so we can be ready to take advantage of the opportunities that are there.
Bartolucci says $1 billion was spent on mineral exploration in Ontario in 2011.
Bartolucci says the local unemployment rate is one of the lowest in Ontario thanks to job creation measures put in place by the McGuinty Liberals.
Bartolucci says the key has been a good working relationship with the community.
M-P-P Rick Bartolucci working the room at today’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
New Steel Hall Officially Opens
January 26th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Stew Kernan
The new Steel Hall on Brady Street is officially open.
The old Steel Hall on Frood Road burned down in September 2008.
Steelworkers Local 6500 president Rick Bertrand says the Hall has been a big part of the community for 40 years, so it’s good to have it back.
A lot has happened in the 3 plus years since the fire including a year long mining strike.
But, Bertrand says it’s time to move on.
United Steelworkers International president Leo Gerard was among the special guests who took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Brady Street Steel Hall earlier this afternoon.
One Hurt While Fleeing Burning Home In Chelmsford
January 26th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Angela Gemmill
Greater Sudbury Fire crews from four stations helped put out a house fire at 3398 Errington Street North in Chelmsford this morning.
They were called just before ten o’clock.
Two people live at the residence and one sustained minor injuries when they tripped outside as they were escaping the fire.
The$ 100,000 fire was contained to the attic.
An investigation into cause continues.
Police closed the road between Fitzgerald and Morin Streets while firefighters work to put out the flames.
Val Caron Park To Keep ‘Gerard Workers’ Memorial’ Name
January 26th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Angela Gemmill
A park in Val Caron will be named after labour leader Leo Gerard after all.
The park was officially opened and dedicated on Labour Day last summer, but problems with the municipal naming process dragged the matter on for the past four months.
Steps in the bylaw, which deal with how municipal parks are named, weren’t followed, including having public consultations prior to the naming.
Greater Sudbury City Councillors approved unanimously, in a recorded vote Tuesday, to keep the name: Leo Gerard Workers’ Memorial Park.
Gerard is currently the International President of United Steelworkers of America, but moved up through the union ranks locally and has been a tireless advocate for worker safety.
He grew up in Lively and still has a home in the valley.
The park and its name were proposed by Ward 5 Councillor Ron Dupuis.
(Leo Gerard at the park’s dedication ceremony last September in Val Caron)
Reward Offered For Info On Downtown Church Assault/Robbery
January 26th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Angela Gemmill
Sudbury Rainbow Crime Stoppers wants to find the suspect who assaulted and robbed an elderly woman in the foyer of a church last weekend.
They have offered a guaranteed one-thousand dollar reward for information which leads to an arrest in the case, however tips must be in before midnight February 1st.
Last Saturday morning, an 85-year old woman was shoved against doors inside the Ukrainian Church on Notre Dame Avenue.
The male suspect took off with her purse.
He was between the ages of 25-30.
Police believe the man is also linked to a vehicle theft just a half-hour before the assault, when a white pick-up truck was stolen from a parking lot on Durham at Elm Street.
Anyone with information can call 1-800-22-TIPS (8477), text TIPSUD followed by the information or by submitting the details online at www.sudburycrimestoppers.com
Man Driving With Shotgun
January 25th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Stew Kernan
The Firearms Registry helped Sudbury Police deal with a potentially dangerous situation.
Last night around 8:30 a call came in about a distraught man with a gun driving in the Levack area.
Police located the vehicle and a pursuit began, but was called off because of safety concerns.
Police used the registry to determine a 12 gauge shotgun was registered to the suspect.
It had been tossed from the vehicle somewhere between Onaping, Levack and Cartier and was recovered by Provincial Police.
A 35-year old man was found at a home in Levack and was arrested without incident.
Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act
January 25th, 2012 by sudbury.newsroom
By Angela Gemmill
Private businesses, non-profit groups and service providers across the province will be working on sensitivity and training this year when it comes to customers with disabilities.
By the end of 2012 all stores and services must have customer service standard policies in place as part of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Andrew Olivier, Vice Chair of the Independence Centre and Network (or ICAN) in Sudbury calls it a good step, but expects the transition to be slow.
Olivier says awareness for staff includes noticing if a customer has a disability and needs help.
He says most able-bodied consumers take customer service for granted, but for someone with a disability that extra help is essential.
Not complying with the AOD Act by the end of the year, could mean penalties which include steep fines up to $50,000.
However Olivier says it also means the store could lose business from future customers, who have disabilities if someone doesn’t feel welcome or if they’ve been treated poorly.
By 2025 all businesses, organizations and service providers are expected to be barrier-free as part of the AOD Act.
(Vice Chair of Independence Centre and Network (ICAN) in Sudbury, Andrew Olivier speaking with reporters in October 2010)